Rural Ambitions provide entrepreneurial consultancy advice to family businesses in the rural community, to help traditional estates and farms develop into resilient and diverse businesses. Drawing on MBA and urban place making talent, we strive to create customer facing, innovative places in the rural landscape that anticipate changing trends in order that they remain relevant and engaging.
Rural Placemaking is our unique proposition to the market. It is the understanding that we can be editors of the places we own. We can invite the businesses that inspire us and that share our values to become our trading partners. Placemaking is the reinterpretation of footpaths and cycle routes through woods and along river banks to create a natural, energetic footfall from one estate business to the next. In a world where what the market values is changing more rapidly than any of us can remember, placemaking is being alive to the opportunities and threats that this brings, and helping our clients adapt their businesses to thrive in these turbulent times.
Articles and Publications
Specialism
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04.05.2021Harrods in Knightsbridge is an unlikely source of business inspiration for farm and estate owners when considering rural diversification projects Yet there are valuable lessons that can be learned from this famous, high-end retailer in terms of how placemaking can be used within a business and the benefits it can bring. Placemaking is relatively new in the […]10 mins
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25.03.2021Rural economies have a vast amount to gain from embracing modern and flexible concepts of workplace. As in urban spaces, workspace is one of the key elements of rural placemaking and mixed-use environments, providing a rhythm of consumer which no other use creates – a predominantly captive daytime user who is loyal, regular and predictable. […]2 mins
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05.11.2020The electric car market has expanded rapidly in recent years and while electric vehicles currently account for a relatively small proportion of the cars on the road, this picture is expected to change. There were fewer than 10,000 electric cars on the ground at the start of 2010, but that figure is now closer to 250,000, […]7 mins
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27.10.2020Halloween has become big business in the UK. In terms of consumer spending, this seasonal event has become one of the biggest dates in the calendar, only eclipsed by Christmas and Easter. There is nothing more synonymous with Halloween than a pumpkin and there are now an estimated 15m pumpkins grown in the UK each […]4 mins
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20.07.2020Woodland creation is an increasingly attractive option to farmers and landowners considering ways to improve their business resilience and diversify income streams. In Scotland in particular there are several grants available to help, while the recent simplification in accessing expert advice for potential tree planting schemes will be an additional boost. The Farm Advisory Service […]5 mins
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16.07.2020With the legislation affecting landowners changing more rapidly than it has in decades, Strutt & Parker pinpoints the key policy changes currently in the pipeline affecting all aspects of estate management. FARMING ENGLAND The Agriculture Bill outlines how direct payments (Basic Payments) will be phased out between 2021 and 2028. In 2021, farmers face a […]5 mins
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22.06.2020Ten years after the introduction of the government’s flagship Feed-in Tariff, renewable energy subsidies may have almost disappeared, but the sector is entering a new era promising opportunities for farmers and landowners. Green energy technology has advanced greatly over the past decade, costs in many areas have fallen considerably, and political pressure to decarbonise our […]3 mins
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18.06.2020Trees were a hot topic during the last General Election campaign, with all political parties making pledges to ratchet up levels of planting. In the March Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed a £640m funding package in England and Wales with a promise to plant 30,000 hectares annually between 2020 and 2025 – more than double […]7 mins
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28.05.2020What is the National Food Strategy? It’s the first major review of the nation’s food system in 75 years and will shape a government White Paper, setting the ‘field-to-fork’ agenda for the coming decades. How much of an issue is the disconnect between our largely urban society and those who produce food? The differences between urban and […]3 mins
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21.05.2020Strutt & Parker is delighted to announce that it will be one of the founding business service partners of the new National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). The Centre plans to undertake research and knowledge exchange to support resilience and innovation among rural firms, unlocking the untapped potential of rural economies across the UK. […]2 mins
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28.01.2020Understanding shifting demographics and consumer behaviour has never been more important, as rural estates look to diversification opportunities to generate new income and reduce risk. Strutt & Parker experts identify six themes and the opportunities they could bring. The experience matters Consumers are seeking ‘experiences’, so estate owners and retailers are understanding they need to […]7 mins
Speak to the Rural Ambitions team
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Ed Mansel LewisHead of Viticulture and Rural Ambitions
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Nick RobinsonCommercial Placemaking & MasterplanningLondon city
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Ed Mansel LewisHead of Viticulture and Rural Ambitions
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Nick RobinsonCommercial Placemaking & MasterplanningLondon city
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© Strutt & Parker 2019